A Boy's Escape: Photo by Ralph Crane, 1947 (Photo 1) LIFE was known for its war photography, celebrity shoots, and glimpses of Americana. But what's often overlooked is the tradition of groundbreaking technical photography that no other magazine could bring and that, in some instances, the human could not even see. This picture -- a reenactment of a disturbed boy's escape from a children's home -- is a flawless example of technical excellence, a masterful combination of high speed strobes, exquisite timing, and dramatic composition. Readers weren't there to witness the boy's escape, but thanks to Ralph Crane's technical wizardry, they knew what it felt like.
(Photo 2) Automobile Arriving from the Eastern Sector of Berlin Being Halted by West Berlin Police
(Photo 3) Photographer Ralph Crane/LIFE magazine
Santa Monica, 1950
Photographer Ralph Crane
Sock hops, poodle skirts, and drive-ins may have been the thing for some in 1950, but these young lovers just wanted to be at the shore. With the cool breeze blowing, they could let the world pass them by and share a warm, quiet moment in the sand.
Born in Germany in 1913, Ralph Crane was expected to be a doctor like his father and grandfather. Instead, he pursued his dad’s hobby―photography. He began taking pictures at age 12 and was freelancing for The New York Times by the time he was 21. After many years of working as a contributor, he joined the LIFE staff in 1951. Crane created striking photo essays on a wide variety of subjects. He planned his images carefully, sometimes drawing out the compositions beforehand for difficult one-shot photographs. ―Anna Lee Gresham
Three Photo's For 1RA Paper
A Boy's Escape: Photo by Ralph Crane, 1947 (Photo 1)
LIFE was known for its war photography, celebrity shoots, and glimpses of Americana. But what's often overlooked is the tradition of groundbreaking technical photography that no other magazine could bring and that, in some instances, the human could not even see. This picture -- a reenactment of a disturbed boy's escape from a children's home -- is a flawless example of technical excellence, a masterful combination of high speed strobes, exquisite timing, and dramatic composition. Readers weren't there to witness the boy's escape, but thanks to Ralph Crane's technical wizardry, they knew what it felt like.
(Photo 2)
Automobile Arriving from the Eastern Sector of Berlin Being Halted by West Berlin Police
(Photo 3)
Photographer Ralph Crane/LIFE magazine
Santa Monica, 1950
Photographer Ralph CraneSock hops, poodle skirts, and drive-ins may have been the thing for some in 1950, but these young lovers just wanted to be at the shore. With the cool breeze blowing, they could let the world pass them by and share a warm, quiet moment in the sand.
Born in Germany in 1913, Ralph Crane was expected to be a doctor like his father and grandfather. Instead, he pursued his dad’s hobby―photography. He began taking pictures at age 12 and was freelancing for The New York Times by the time he was 21. After many years of working as a contributor, he joined the LIFE staff in 1951. Crane created striking photo essays on a wide variety of subjects. He planned his images carefully, sometimes drawing out the compositions beforehand for difficult one-shot photographs. ―Anna Lee Gresham